Seatbelts Can Help Save Lives

It’s just a fact. Not only can seatbelts save lives, but they can also prevent serious injuries in auto accidents. The risks are high when you choose not to wear a seatbelt. Without the restraint you could be thrown against the steering wheel and even ejected from the car. If you don’t believe us, here are a few statistics:

Lap-shoulder belt systems reduce the risk of fatality and serious injury by 50 percent when used by drivers and front-seat passengers.

In 2008, seat belts saved more than 13,000 lives nationwide.

Approximately 35,000 people die in motor vehicle crashes each year. About 50 percent (17,000) of these people could be saved if they wore their safety belts.

Motorists are 25 times are more likely to be killed or seriously injured when they are “thrown clear” than when remain inside their vehicle.

In a 30 mph collision an unbelted 160 lb. Person can strike another passenger, crash through a windshield and/or slam into the vehicle’s interior with a 4,800 lb. force.

Of every 100 children who die in motor vehicle crashes at least 80 would survive if they were properly secured in an approved child safety seat or safety belts.

Of the people who survive car crashes, unbelted victims stay three-to-five times longer in a hospital and incur two-to-seven times the medical costs of those wearing safety belts

Seat belts are your first line of defense against injuries or death. They protect the internal organs in a crash while controlling the forward motion of the body and the accompanying rotation of the pelvis. Seatbelts also minimize head contact and excessive neck motion, preventing head and neck injuries.

This next statistic relates directly to us: Drivers in the Southeast are less likely to buckle up than the rest of the nation’s drivers, and the fatal crash rate in the region is 20 percent higher than in other parts of the United States. The reasons for this are because of our rural roads. We use rural roads more than highways and the visibility on a rural road is significantly less than on a highway. So when a crash occurs on a secondary road and the passengers are not wearing seat belts, the consequences are typically more serious than if the wreck occurs along a major highway.

The bottom line is that seatbelts save lives. Wearing a seatbelt will greatly reduce your risk of injury or death in an auto or truck accident. Buckling your seatbelt takes only seconds, so why not? A couple of seconds could save your life.

If you’ve been injured in an Asheville car accident or Western North Carolina truck accident you should seek the advice of an experienced auto accident attorney. At Fisher Stark Cash, P.A., we have experience and are dedicated to representing WNC car accident victims. We are committed to doing everything in our power to make sure we achieve the most desirable outcome for our auto accident victims.

We proudly serve the communities of Western North Carolina including Asheville, Hendersonville, Morganton, Hickory, Waynesville, Brevard, Lenoir and Black Mountain.